The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1887-06-02

matters.
This happy and successful revolution
attracted attention all the country,
and "the Quincy method" was often re-
ferred to. At the convention Of Ohio
teachers at ChautsuQuR In July, 1880,
the following sketch Of the improved
Quincy schools, and the way II was
done, was given by Prof. II. N. James.
The address is reproduced from the
Cleveland Leaders report.
trust 1t Is not too long for the col
umns Of the DEMOCRAT. am confident
II will be found interesting reading,
AT least IL interested A CITIZEN.
THE QUINCY SCHOOLS
AND THE WAY THEY WERE IMPROVED
RoTE TEACHING AND PARROT LIKE AN
SWERS DONE AWAY WITH, AND A GRAND
AWAKENING TAKES PLACE.
Professor q. NJ. James, of Cleveland, +,
delivered one OF the Rblest papers Of the
session, on the Quincy methods In teach
ing; showing that they were not new;
but speaking highly of their value and
calling for the more general adoption
Of them In the Ohio schools. Mr.. James
said, substantially:
The school committee has from time
immem0rial been an important factor
in New England life. 1t has been com.
posed generally Of the most substantial
members of the community. While they
are not equal In position to the Select
men, or the members Of the Legislature,
this Office has not hesitated to call to Its
service men Of the highest standing
the most intelligent and most respect
able members Of society. The minister,
the physician, the lawyer, and the man
Of literary leisure, have felt 1t no small
honor to serve on the school committee.
In this exalted capacity he has assisted
or 8ssented when teachers have been
employed; he has taken an interest In
the progress Of the pupils; he has
listened, from time to time,
to complaints against the teachers,
whom, as rule, he has felt 1t his duty
to sustain; he has occasionally, perhaps,
though not frequently, gone into tire
school, while in session, and In a tedious
way addressed the children; on which
occasion he expressed his satisfaction
with all he had seen, and eXhOrted them
to improve their opportunities while
young. He has managed to be present
on examination day, and be deceived by
the parr0t-like answers the children
have given to the questions they have
heard so many times before; he has
heard the juvenile speaking, has heard
the singing and perhaps has spoken
again and has expressed his satisfaction
with the school, and again spoken
strongly to the weary boys and girls Of
their knowledge, and then he has as
sisted In making the annual report, Ia
which every school and township Is
mentioned as having made desirable
progress, the teachers are commended
for their efficiency and fsithfulness, and
the citizens congratulated on the skill
and devotion Of their teachers, the ex-
cellenCe Of their schools and the jadi-
cious management IN which Che COM
mittee has administered the public
funds. Rarely has this committee gone
through the schools with searching
examination which would test the
method Of instruction, and rarely have
these benevolent gentlemen reported
that the schools were otherwise than In
q satisfactory condition.
.,l QUINCY RULoGIzED.
Professor James then went on to speak
Of the alleged origin Of the Quincy
method, describing Quincy, MassschU-
setts, lying eight miles from Boston, as
one Of the most ancient and honorable
Of the towns of North America, being
one of the chief towns Of Massachusetts,
both in great acts, and more especla lily,
In great men, He spoke of 1t as the
home Of the Adam es, John Hancock and
Edmund Quincy, and went on to de-,
scribe its condition at the time of Its
change to the new method. He said
that the schools for generations prior
to this had been conducted under The
supervision Of such committee as was
described In his first W0rds, and that
while the schools of the West, Ohio,
Indiana, aud Nebraska, had been stead
lily advancing, those of Quincy had re-
mained stagDant, and In 1876 that they
were consi erably behind the race,
although thought to be and reported a.
thoroughly ny with the time.
THE AWAKENING. F
In 1875 a new school board was estab-
iIshed 10 Quincy, of which Charles
Francis Adams and other men OF broad
and generous culture, earnest Durpose,
Judgment. Of keen per-
ceDti0n and fearless spirit, were mem.
bers. These men subjected the schools
to a thorough test, but In 1t the schools
utterly broke down. They were found
10 have developed neither thought nor
expression. 1t appeared they had been
dealing with words rather than ideas
and that tn y had never learned to OBJ
serve, nor think, ncr express themselves,
and that any questions outside Of the
beaten track met with no response. At
this point Mr.. Adams and his board gave
the world an extraordinary exhibition
Of common sense. They applied busi-
ness principles to the management Of
their schools. They procured an intel
Iigent and competent management to
conduct them. They did not presume
able to apply the remedy.
They recOG nized teaching as q pr0fos
,ion, determined to establish the office
of superintendent. and to ill 1t with
professional instructor.
TAFFY FOR PARKER.
They found man large-hearted, en-
well.informed and practical.
)ne who had mind and education
which adapted him to the work, who had
observed carefully the best systems Of
instruction In this country and In Eu-
'oDe, and II Is o pleasure to me to say,
me who had been connected for some !
1ears with the, schools Of Ohio, from
whose teachers IL Is free to say that
Iome Of his first suggestions as to teach /
ng came. This man was Colonel Par
Ier. To him the Board gave absolute
control as to all matters relating to the
Methods OF teaching. courses Of study, 1
looks to be used, and the appointment |
md removals OF the teachers Of the
luincy School. Under these circum- |
tanOes Colonel Parker began his work |
q Q lincy, and the results therefrom |